Heavy Lies the Crown
by RedfieldFamilyFan24
Summary: When Tony Stark figures out the crazy time travel plan might work, he prepares for the worst.


((AN: I tried to keep this close to canon, but I haven't seen Endgame in awhile))

Tony had figured it out.

When Capsicle had come and told him that they might be able to figure out time travel, Tony had thought it was impossible. If anything, he thought it even more when Scott or whatever his name was had basically said they needed to follow the rules from Back to the Future.

It was insane. The whole thing was insane.

They tried to convince him that he should try and help them create a time machine. No, that wasn't right. They tried to convince him that he should create it.

But he wouldn't. He couldn't. He wouldn't risk everything he had now.

Tony had more than he ever thought he would. More than he deserved. He was married to the love of his life, Pepper, who was the most amazing woman. She had always deserved better than someone like him. They had a wonderful daughter.

A daughter who sort of reminded Tony of himself. Or maybe what he could have been like if his childhood had been different. Morgan… he wanted to make sure she got the world. He wanted to make sure that she always knew how much he loved her.

And there was no way that he was going to risk everything for an idea that would never work. An impossible idea.

He made them leave. He didn't want them to try and convince him to do this. He wished he could do something. He wished he could bring everyone back, but he couldn't risk his family. Not when for some reason he had been gifted a second chance. A second chance he probably didn't deserve after everything. He had failed. Failed to save the world. Failed to save Peter.

Yes, he would just be grateful for what he had. He wasn't going to try something that wasn't going to work. Life wasn't some sci-fi movie. The kind of movie that Peter would have liked. Maybe not as much as Star Wars or Alien but still.

And for awhile after they left, Tony could push their insane time travel ideas away. For awhile. It made it easier when he was around Morgan and Pepper. Pepper didn't mention anything about Cap and the others being here and Morgan had decided to instead talk about the new Frozen movie.

Even when the world had come to an end, that hadn't stopped Disney from making new Frozen movies. Usually he got tired of hearing about them over and over again, not that he said anything about it, but today he was almost glad.

Maybe he could have completed pushed time travel thoughts away but then as he was washing the dishes and accidentally sprayed himself, he saw a picture he hadn't looked at for awhile. He picked it up and stared at it.

It was of him and Peter. Happier days. When things had looked like they might turn out good or at least not like shit. Tony had been trying to be a better mentor to Peter. Really it was his fault the kid had to fight that freak on his Homecoming night without a proper suit.

Tony has liked mentoring the kid too. Peter was smart and funny and reminded Tony a bit of himself or rather what he could have been. But most of all the kid was just good. Maybe naïve and trusting but just good.

Better than Tony and any of the other Avengers both ex and current.

The picture was of the two of them they had taken for the Stark internship cover. They had taken a bunch of them and Tony had them all now, but the others were stored somewhere along with other pictures that hurt to look at.

But seeing it now… it was hard to look away. The two of them had been smiling and holding bunny ears over each other's heads. Peter looked so happy. And so young. He had been young. Only sixteen. Still in school.

_Mr. Stark, I don't feel so good. _

Tony almost shuddered at the thought. It wasn't fair. It wasn't fair that someone like Peter would die, whereas people like Tony would live. Peter, who had been such a good kid.

None of this was fair.

Tony would never forget when they had been on Titan. When the kid had died in his arms. Strange and the guardians had vanished right away, but Peter had fought it.

_Mr. Stark, I don't feel so good. _

He had said how he didn't want to go. All Tony had been able to say was that he was okay. It was stupid. He should have said something better. Something that would have made the kid feel even a tiniest bit better.

Even if it was stupid. As if lies would change what was happening. Peter wasn't stupid. He was brilliant. One of the only people who had been able to keep up with him in his labs.

Peter had then apologized. Apologized to him. Probably because of that stupid ferry incident and what Tony had said to him.

Now the kid was gone. Gone. Nothing would bring him back.

Unless…

But Scott's crazy Back to the Future Time travel idea was insane. There was no way that it could work. No way. Unless…

Maybe he could try it. He might be able find a way to make it work. After all he was Tony Stark.

But he didn't think FRIDAY would say that the model was successful. But then it did.

It could work.

He could see Peter again. The kid could get the chance he deserved.

Tony had talked to Pepper later. She had basically told him, she knew he needed to do this. He was going to put this crazy plan in action. Whatever it took.

Except he wouldn't allow himself to lose anything he gained over these last five years.

Today he was going to go the compound and talk to the others. They were probably trying and failing to figure out how to make this work. He'd grace them with his presence and help them. He would even be nice enough to bring Capsicle his shield back. Sure enough when he got there he found out not only had they tried and failed but somehow managed to temporarily turn Lang into a baby with their weird 70s hippie creeper van.

Obviously Cap had been happy to see him and soon they actually got a machine working. A time machine. A machine that could save all the people who had been lost five years ago.

Including Peter.

And it worked. They sent Clint back and he returned in one piece, and not as a baby.

They were even working on a plan on getting the stones. It should all work.

But first he had something else to do. Someone else he needed to talk to.

It didn't take Happy that long to get there. He didn't live that far away and when everything happened he hadn't left. When he arrived, he had that grumpy look, but that was how Happy was.

"So you're back here," Happy said.

"Yeah, the band is back together," Tony joked.

Happy just rolled his eyes as the two of them walked down the halls. "Didn't think you would want to have anything to do with them now."

Tony hadn't for a long time. After they lost, he had still been angry with Cap. Furious with him. Maybe even more than before.

Maybe if he had been there like he promised Tony wouldn't have lost his kid. The kid.

Maybe they would have won.

"Yeah, well, things changed," Tony said as they finally reached a room where they could talk without him worrying about someone listening. "We're going to try and fix things."

Happy's frown deepened. "What do you mean? Fix things?"

"I might be able to save everyone. I.." Tony hesitated. "I might be able to save the kid." He almost said my kid instead of the kid.

Happy stared at him and Tony half expected for him to say something like how that was impossible. To remind him of what happened all those years ago.

As if he could ever forget.

"How?" Happy finally asked, ending the silence which had seemed to stretch for an eternity.

"It's a long story." One that Tony didn't know if he wanted to or could go into. "But I'm going to get Pete back. He should never have…" Even now he didn't want to say die.

Peter had been the best of them and definitely better than Tony ever had been. It would be that way again. He would get him back.

"Good," Happy said. "The kid.. it would be great to have him back. I almost miss how he would constantly talk about Star Wars."

Tony smiled weakly about that. He did miss Peter's excitement toward that. Peter was always passionate about what he cared about. Yes, it could be annoying when he went on and on about Star Wars or Alien. But Tony would love to hear that now.

"But are you sure this is…" Happy paused. "Realistic?"

Happy was probably thinking about how upset he had been after everything. Maybe

people like Clint would say he was lucky, and he was in a way since he still had Pepper, Rhodey, and Happy but still. He had been a mess. He blamed himself for what happened to Peter and everyone. He was supposed to protect them. Yet he had failed.

"I didn't think it would be but it is," Tony said. "It's going to work." It had to work. "But I need you to do something for me."

Happy sighed but nodded.

"If I don't make it—" he didn't get a chance to finish.

"You're going to make it. You always make it."

Maybe before, but that didn't mean it would happen this time. He hoped that it would and everything would go as planned. That he would be able to kiss Pepper again and tell Morgan all the stories that she loved.

"I need to be prepared."

There was another long pause. "What would you want me to do?"

Tony sighed and put his hand on the back of his neck. This room suddenly seemed so bright. "I need you to watch out for my kid. I mean the kid."

My kid… if he said that then Happy was going to think that he meant Morgan but Peter felt like he was his kid too. He had been protective of him and wanted what was best for him. Hell, he had loved that kid even if they weren't related.

"For Peter?" Happy didn't blink when he had called Peter his.

Tony nodded.

"Peter'll be fine. He's strong." Tony opened his mouth to say that obviously he knew that Peter was strong but the kid was still sensitive and young and he needed another person watching out for him even if he did have super powers. "But obviously I'll do it, Tony."

"Good."

"I miss the kid too."

And Tony believed him. The kid had a way of growing on pretty much anyone.

"I'd rather have you keeping an eye on him than anyone else." Definitely more than Steve and anyone else who had been on his team, and way more than someone like Nick Fury who was a complete asshole on a good day. He didn't trust Fury and never would.

He'd probably force the kid to do whatever he wanted even if it wasn't in Peter's best interests. Tony could put up with Fury's shit easily, but Peter shouldn't have to.

"Yeah, I'll make sure the kid's okay," Happy said. "I'll keep him from doing anything too crazy."

"From doing something I would do or something I wouldn't do," Tony said, misty just repeating what he had said to Peter after Germany.

Now things were different though. Peter would be an avenger so he would do more dangerous things, even if Tony would never like it.

"I'm going to give him E.D.I.T.H if things don't go as they should."

Happy rose his eyebrows.

"I know what you're thinking, but he's ready."

"Peter would be only sixteen."

Sixteen was young, but that didn't change Tony's mind. He couldn't imagine giving anyone else E.D.I.T.H.

"I trust him. I trust Peter."

"Yeah, but that's a lot to put on a kid."

Tony sighed. He knew in a way it was but it would also protect Peter. If he wasn't there at least he would have May, Happy, and E.D.I.T.H.. E.D.I.T.H. might be the only thing to help him if he was out patrolling and things went south.

"Especially if you died." His voice had gone so low that it was hard to even hear him when he said died.

Maybe that was true. Maybe.

"He doesn't have to get it right away," Tony said.

"Like not until he's—"

"It'll need to be soon," Tony said, knowing that Happy might think he was crazy. "It can protect him." 

Happy gave him a look, but then nodded. "But you're going to be fine."

Tony nodded. "Yeah, I will be."

He would have to be because he had Pepper and Morgan. He didn't want to leave Morgan without a father. He would be there for them.

But he had to be careful.

Just in case.


End file.
